Brexit news – live: DUP accused of ‘silly games’ over legal action, as No 10 denies influence of Boris Johnson’s fiancee

Downing Street has responded to claims Boris Johnson’s fiancee Carrie Symonds plays a central role in running the country, rubbishing them as “incorrect”.

Conservative think tank The Bow Group called for an inquiry into her activities following reports of her influence within No 10.

Allegra Stratton, the PM’s press secretary, said there was “no response to that at all” and stressed Mr Johnson was focused on getting the coronavirus crisis under control.

Asked whether Ms Symonds was taking a central role with no authority or accountability, Ms Stratton said: “It’s incorrect. The prime minister’s fiancee is on maternity leave, she’s raising their son Wilf and shortly she will be taking up a new role at the wildlife charity the Aspinall Foundation.”

Bookmakers have increased the odds on the UK seeking to rejoin the EU in five years due to the impact the messy divorce deal continues to have on businesses and various parts of the travel industry.

Betfair is giving odds of 5/1 of the UK rejoining by 2026, and 1/10 for it remaining outside.

It comes as Boris Johnson continues to downplay complaints from businesses, particularly in the fishing industry, that the deal has damaged their exports and impacted key sectors.

“It might fall to a new generation of politicians, in both main parties, to have the honest conversation about Brexit that's so far failed to materialise,” Betfair said on Monday.

“Getting that done in time for 2026 looks tight. But five years is a long time – think how much has happened in UK politics since 2016 – and the market on the UK rejoining is worth watching.”

The bookies also gave the Tories a 11/5 chance of winning a majority in the next general election – if the vaccine rollout continues to prove a success with voters. It gave Labour a 16/5 chance of gaining a majority and a 6/5 chance no overall majority would be reached.

It also predicts that Brexit will remain the biggest factor during 2024 election campaign, giving it 4/11 odds.

“Perhaps Brexit will be the biggest factor at the next election ... just as it was at the last. It's not going away and will continue to cause problems for both main parties. It remains to be seen which will suffer most and whether anyone will have the guts to advocate reversing it,” the company said on its website.

It comes amid major backlash to the fallout of Brexit, with musicians and actors last week demanding talks reopen over work visas that will stop them being able to tour the EU. A new report by several Conservatives also revealed that Brexit had left the UK “less safe and less secure” and called for Mr Johnson to reopen negotiations with the bloc.

Downing Street has just confirmed that Boris Johnson will host Monday evening’s Covid press conference – where the PM will set out his long-awaited roadmap to easing England out of lockdown – at 7pm.

Chief medical officer Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance will also be present at the news event.

Mr Johnson will first announce the plans to fellow ministers in the House of Commons at 3.30pm, before making the televised speech to Britain later this evening.

Concerns have been raised over a “big bang” reopening for schools, as Boris Johnson is expected to announce that all students will be allowed to return in three weeks’ time.

Education unions have called for a “safe and sustainable” approach, days after warning it would be “reckless” to bring all pupils back en masse.

Geoff Barton from the Association for School and College Leaders (ASCL) said while his union shared the government’s goal to bring all children back onsite as soon as possible, it remains “concerned about the idea of a ‘big bang’ approach of a full return of pupils all at the same time”.

My colleague Zoe Tidman reports:

Keir Starmer has told teachers not to take industrial action over the government’s back-to-school plan and suggested they might have to give up some of their holidays to provide catch-up lessons.

Speaking on Monday the Labour leader said unions were right to “stick up for their members”, acknowledging that teachers had been put under “stress and strain” during the pandemic.

But he said he did not support mooted industrial action over safety concerns, after nine teaching unions warned it would be “reckless” to open schools at all once on 8 March.

Starmer’s comments come as both teachers and union leaders raise over a “big bang” reopening for all schools in England on 8 March.

Nadhim Zahawi got tangled up in time this morning, when he suggested that children returning to schools in March would have additional protection because of people being vaccinated in April.

The vaccines minister got his dates tangled in a Sky News interview ahead of the unveiling of Boris Johnson’s roadmap out of lockdown.

He told the broadcaster “It is not a coincidence that 8 March is the date that we have focused on, because if you take the mid-April date when we will have given at least one dose to all over-50s – offered that one-dose protection to all over-50s – three weeks after the middle of April takes you to the first week of March.”

Anyone make any sense of that?

Irish premier Micheal Martin has insisted the Northern Ireland protocol offers many benefits and opportunities, as he stressed the importance of its full implementation.

Addressing the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly (BIPA), the Taoiseach said he “warmly welcomed” efforts by the UK and EU to find ways to resolve some of the trading problems.

Martin again emphasised that both sides had committed to the full implementation of the new Irish Sea trading arrangements. “There is no version of Brexit that does not mean change, and change on this scale, by its very nature, can be difficult and challenging – especially in Northern Ireland,” he said.

He added: “There are many benefits and opportunities inherent in the protocol for Northern Ireland and so it is right that we all work closely together to ensure that the protocol works and that disruption is minimised to the greatest extent possible.”

SNP MP Joanna Cherry has written to River City actor David Paisley and asked him to pay her £2,000 in legal fees after he criticised her support of a fellow lawyer’s fundraiser related to trans rights issues.

The Scottish PEN group – promoting freedom of thought – has criticised the letter sent from Cherry’s lawyers threatening “further action”.

“Scottish PEN holds that reasonable questions should be asked of elected representatives when in the public interest, without fear of legal action. We find these threats to be disproportionate and deeply troubling.”

Debate rages over whether Keir Starmer is right not to call for Matt Hancock’s resignation.

The health secretary has shrugged off a court ruling that he broke the law by failing to publish details of lucrative Covid contracts in time – insisting it was just “delayed paperwork”.

LBC host James O’Brien thinks standards have become so strange it wouldn’t be helpful for the Labour leader to start demanding ministers quit. “In a normal world he would have gone months ago …. I don’t think this is the hill on which Keir Starmer should have planted a flag.”

You can follow our live coronavirus coverage for the latest on today’s big lockdown easing announcement, but we do know a fair amount already on what comes next.

Downing Street has trailed the March phase of Boris Johnson’s four-phase exit plan, so we’re expecting he will reopen schools in England on 8 March, while care home residents in England will be allowed one regular visitor from the same date.

The next milestone is 29 March, when up to six people or two households are set to be allowed to meet up outdoors. Outdoor sports could return on the same date.

We’ll have to wait until Johnson addresses the Commons at around 3.30pm afternoon to confirm the details and find out what might happen in April, May and June. He is also expected to lead a Downing Street press conference at around 7pm.